The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-10-24
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THE LABOR PROBLEM.


thoughts on the subject, and with
your leave | will revert to it again,
because | regard it as the leading
and most vital question of the day.
1t is not the personnel of the Gov
eminent that makes or unmakes a
country, although a clean and effec-
tive Administration has much to do
with the creation of confidence in
the community at large. But If
economic conditions favoring indus
trial development do not exist a
country cannot be prosperous what
ever may be the character of its
Government.
The point for consideration
therefore is, do these conditions
exist on these Islands? Broadly
stated, in my opinion, they do not.
The cost of labor is q bar to all in
dustrial expansion. 1t is dear and
unreliable: / speak of plantation
labor primarily. As skilled labor is
dependent in great measure upon
the sugar industry consideration
of its condition is secondary af-
fair. The main point is how to pro-
vide a sufliciency of labor for planta-
ton work TO make sugar growing pro-
fitable, and at the same time render
il possible to establish new produc-
tive industries. The Planters
Labor and Supply Company had
this under consideration but did not
90 to the root of the matter, and
the whole question must be dealt
with by the Legislature in which
the plantation interests are strongly
represented. l need not repeat the
arguments made in former letter
enforcing the necessity for prevent
in the crowding of Honolulu with
contract laborers from plantations
after their original term of service
has expired, by compelling them to
continue at work until the Govern
ment advances on their account are
paid up as we'll as the planters adj
vances; also the strict enforcement
of the Vagrancy law and the re-
striction of licenses to Chinese
traders as a similar check upon that
nationality. These arguments hold
good, and should influence the Legis-
lature upon its assembling next
month.
There is danger, l think, in the
loose way of introducing immigrants
still in vogue, because although tenn
porary relief may be secured there
is no guarantee of permanent good.
The Portuguese drift off, as soon as
possible, to the Coast, or settle in
and around Honolulu, where they
prefer to beg or live upon charity
to working at anything like reason
able pay. AS class, Portuguese
labor has not proved reliable. 1t is
not nearly so desirable as Chinese
labor, and as for the Japs it is too
soon to speak about them. They
have many good points about them
no doubt, but their capability for
assimilating with the native popula-
ton and becoming incorporated
with the country remains
to be seen. One thousand
Japanese are expected, and the
Planters Labor and Supply Com
pany requested the Government to
resume Portuguese immigration.
This request will almost certainly
be complied with, while large and
steady influx of Chinese must be
expected as result of the passport
brokerage business of Gibson & Co.
The country therefore has to face
the problem of large influx of
Asiatic and Portuguese laborers who
will be thrown adrift at the end of
two or three years, without any or
ganized plan of dealing with them,
or directing and controlling their
subsequent movements. This may
afford temporary relief to planters
but it will not aid them permanently,
and is certain to bring about most
undesirable if not dangerous state
Of things in Honolulu, which being
the only large seaport town on the
Hawaiian group will become the
rendezvous of the bulk of these
people. The criminal classes will
be recruited from their ranks, while
vice and immortality will offend the
moral sense and lower the social
status of this city. Even now,
those charged with the control of
civic affairs in Honolulu recognize
the rapid expansion of licentious-
ness and vice, as result of the in
fux of this class of people; and
when thousands have been added to
their number the result will not be
pleasant to contemplate. However,
that is social issue and need not
be pursued further.
The present tendency of our i'm
migration policy is clear to any one.
Ii is a mere makeshift. 1t does not
possess any Of the elements OF per-
manent development. If pursued
for any great length of time it will
create large and dangerous ele-
ment, without education OF moral
restraint, which may become too